SANDOWN CASTLE

Sandown Castle, a Henrician artillery castle, was built in 1539-40 by Henry VIII as part of his chain of coastal defences in response to the growing threat of invasion at that time. The castle, which was designed to resemble a Tudor rose, was built, along with Deal and Walmer Castles, to protect the good landing grounds and strategic anchorage between the Goodwin Sands and the coast, an area known as the Downs. A series of bulwarks, or earthen defences, were also built along the coast between the three castles.

The castle was in a ruinous state by the late 17th century and the sea had breached the moat walls by 1785. The castle was repaired in 1808 and it was garrisoned in the Napoleonic Wars. However, in 1863 it was sold by the War Office as building material and by 1882 the castle had been largely demolished.

Although most of Sandown Castle has been destroyed there exist a number of early plans and views which provide information on how its original form. It was identical to Walmer Castle with a circular keep surrounded by four bastions separated by an inner moat and surrounded by an external moat. The entrance was by a drawbridge on the landward side. The outer bastions were massive structures each with a gun room at ground level and a gun-platform on the roof to mount artillery on. The moat was protected by a fourth tier of hand-guns which were situated on a gallery which ran around the whole castle at basement level. There were 39 gun-ports for heavy armaments and 39 hand-gun loops to control the moat.

Today all that remains of Sandown Castle is part of the west side of the castle including bastions and a section of the central tower. Remains of the castle have been incorporated into the sea defences.

Sandown Castle is contemporary with Deal and Walmer Castles [i.e. 1539 - see TR 35 SE 6 and 15). It was destroyed by the sea and after being sold in 1864 the keep and the greater part of the bastions were demolished. Large plans of Sandown, Deal and Walmer Castle were made to a scale of 25 ft to 1 in c1725 and may be found in the King's Library, British Museum. (2)

Only the internal face of part of the W side of the keep is now visible. It carries several springers for the ribbed and vaulted ceiling of the basement. (see GPs AO/64/121/7-8). The walling is incorporated into the sea defences. To landward of it, the site of the castle is occupied by ornamented gardens which employ large quantities of squared stones taken from the castle. (3)

TR 3759 5430 The site of Sandown Castle. Sandown Castle was built during 1539 and completed by October 1540 as a precaution against a potential catholic invasion. Along with Walmer and Deal it formed a triumverate of defences to protect the "Downs". It was sadly demolished in 1863 and 1882 and is represented today by a fragment of its central tower. Although Sandown Castle no longer exists, a series of early plans and views, including a photograph taken before the first part of the demolition in 1863 show it was identical to Walmer in virtually every detail (see illustration card no 1). It consisted of a circular keep and four bastions separated by an inner moat and surrounded by an external moat (see illustration card no 2). The entrance is by a drawbridge on the land side. The upper part of the centre tower contains a spacious cistern for water, and below it is a large vaulted apartment, bomb-proof, for the garrison. The outer bastions were each massively constructed with a gun room at ground level and must have had a very strong timber roof as a platform on which the ordnance of the second tier could be mounted. The entire moat could be commanded by a fourth tier of hand-guns firing from a gallery running around the whole castle at basement level. There were39 openings for heavy armaments and 39 hand-gun loops controlling the moat. Sandown Castle was smaller and less complicated than Deal but displayed the same basic ideas of massive offensive capability combined with carefully contrived defence. Deal, Sandown and Walmer appear to have been designed by the same person, such is their similarity, but he remains unknown. In addition to the three stone castles, there were originally four "green" or earthen bulwarks. None of these survive, but they were seen by Stukeley and Hasted in the C18th. The Great Bulwark of Turf and the Little Bulwark of Turf lay between Sandown and Deal Castles, and between the latter and Walmer Castle were the Great White Bulwark of Clay and Walmer Bulwark. All 7 fortifications were linked by a curved trench to form a single defensive line extending along 2.5 miles of coastline (see illustration card no 3). Queen Elizabeth I lodged at the castle in 1588 but it was in a poor state of repair by 1663. Repairs were made in 1808, before it was finally demolished and used as a stone quarry for building an officer's house. (4-5)

This source includes a general listing and grid reference. (6)

These sources include a brief note on the castle. (7-8)

This source provides the political background to the construction of the Downs Castles. The architect of the castles is identified as Stephen von Hascenperg, a native of Moravia. (9)

Artillery fort built c.1540 for Henry VIII. The only remains are the west third of the castle including the South-west and North-west bastions and basement of the keep. W third remains. SW and NWbastions and a segment of central keep. The rest was eroded by the sea or demolished in the 19th century. The sea breached the moat walls in 1785 and although the castle was patched up in late 18th century and was garrisoned in the Napoleonic Wars, it was then abandoned. The castle was still fairly complete in 1855 when the last captain of the castle, Sir John Hill, died. In 1863, however, the castle was sold by the War Office as building material. (12)

Sandown Castle was another Downs castle and was nearly identical to Walmer Castle. It was demolished between 1863 and 1882 and only part of the circular keep is still standing today (2009). (13)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25", 1957

( 2) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent